Signal buoy

ABSTRACT

A FLOATABLE SIGNAL BUOY FOR MARINE USE INCLUDING AN ELONGATED BODY HAVING A VISIBLE SECTION DEFINING A SIGNAL PORTION AND A SUBMERGIBLE SECTION DEFINING A WEIGHTED END PROVIDING A RESTORING FORCE TO MAINTAIN THE BODY IN AN ESSENTIALLY VERTICAL OPERATING POSITION. THE BODY DEFINES A BALLAST CHAMBER ADJACENT THE WEIGHTED END AND A CONDUIT IS PROVIDED TO INTRODUCE AIR INTO THE BALLAST CHAMBER TO INCREASE BUOYANCY TO CAUSE THE BUOY TO ASSUME AN OBLIQUE ATTITUDE WITH RESPECT TO THE SURFACE OF THE WATER

Scph 20. 1971 .1. B. Kms 3,605,149

SIGNAL BUOY Filid Aug. 22, 1969 2 Shun-She l f 6 E25] /10 l :iF-ff; L

il n 22 BYMM ATTORNEY J. B. KEATS SIGNAL BUQY sept. 2o, 1971 2Sheets-Sheet B Filed Aug. 22. 1969 lNVENTOR ATTORNEY lUnited StatesPatent 3,605,149 SIGNAL BUOY John B. Keats, Scottsburg, Ind., assignerto Borg-Warner Corporation, Chicago, lll. Filed Aug. 22, 1969, Ser. No.852,389 Int. Cl. B63b 2.7/52, 51/02 ABSTRACT F THE DISCLOSURE Afloatable signal buoy for marine use including an elongated body havinga visible section defining 'a signal portion and a submergible sectiondefining a weighted end providing a restoring force to maintain the bodyin an essentially vertical operating position. The body defines aballast chamber adjacent the weighted end and a conduit is provided tointroduce air into the ballast chamber to increase buoyancy to cause thebuoy to assume an oblique attitude with respect to the surface of thewater.

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION This invention relates to signal buoys formarine use. More particularly it relates to signal buoys capable ofbeing easily moved from location to location while remaining in thewater.

Signal buoys find Wide application in marking navigable channels, dangerzones, land marks, submerged obstructions, and the like. In many cases,such as when the signal buoys are used in ocean waters, they must be ofrugged construction and substantial size to provide the necessarydurability under adverse environmental conditions and still providesatisfactory signalling capabilities even in rough seas.

Signal buoys are constructed in a manner to maximize their signallingcapability. That is, every effort is made to provide a center of gravityas close as possible to the submerged end of the buoy to insure anormally vertical attitude. For this reason buoys cannot be convenientlytowed from one location to another by a vessel since the loadrepresented by the buoy is relatively great and the tracking propertiesof the buoy are poor.

Movement to a location of use aboard ship is also difficult because theweight and size of the signal buoy present an unwieldly and cumbersomeload. The buoy cannot be readily moved about without the use of Winchesor cranes.

In addition, the necessary rugged construction requires the use ofmaterials, such as steel or other metals, which are subject todeterioration from the elements, particularly in salt Waterapplications. For this reason it is necessary to take extra precautionsin protecting the exposed surfaces of the buoy from the elements.

The buoy of the present invention is constructed of durable non-metallicmaterial of the same specific gravity as sea water which provides thenecessary strength and resistance to deterioration due to adverseenvironmental conditions. The buoy includes means to render it easilymovable through the water by increase in buoyancy causing it to assumean oblique angle With the surface of the water. The buoy may thereforebe easily towed from one location to another by a vessel with theminimum of effort. The tracking properties of the buoy are excellent anda single vessel may therefore tow many buoys without difficulty.

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION Very generally the present invention isdirected to a floatable signal buoy for marine use including anelongated body having a visible section defining a signal portionadapted to be normally exposed above the surface of the water and asubmergible section defining a weighted ice end opposite the visiblesignal portion providing maximum resistance to displacement from thevertical by wave action. The body defines a ballast chamber adjacent theweighted section. Introduction of air into the ballast chamber increasesbuoyancy causing the buoy to assume an oblique position with respect tothe surface of the water to render the buoy easily movable through thewater with minimum effort.

DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS FIG. 1 is an elevational view of a signalbuoy illustrative of the principles of the present invention disposed inits normal operating position.

FIG. 2 is an elevational View of a signal buoy of FIG. l shown in itstowing attitude; and

FIG. 3 is a sectional elevational view of -the signal buoy of FIG. lillustrative of various features of the invention.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION Turning now to the drawings, there is illustrated afloatable signal buoy generally designated 10 which embodies theprinciples of the present invention. As best seen in FIGS. l and 2 thebuoy includes a generally elongated body having a visible section 12 anda su-bmergible section 14 connected together to form a single buoystructure.

The buoy is constructed of durable non-metallic material which isimpervious to the effects of salt water and other adverse environmentalconditions. In this regard the buoy may be .formed of ABS plastic suchas Cycolac (registered trademark). The visible section 12 defines thesignalling portion of the buoy. It includes markings 16 on its outersurface such as the illustrated alternately colored bands which may beformed of fluorescent vinyl or the like for easy viewing at greatdistances. In addition a signal light 18 is provided at the end of thevisible section to provide a luminated signal, visible at night. Amooring chain 20 is connected to the signal buoy for attachment toappropriate mooring facilities, such as an anchoring chain 22illustrated in FIG. l.

As seen in FIG. l `the visible section 12 includes an outer wall 24illustrated as a cylindrical tube sealed at one end by a cap 26 and atits opposite end by a disc 28 to dene buoyant chamber. The tube cap 2-6and disc 28 are all formed of ABS plastic and may therefore beconveniently solvent welded into a water tight unit. The interior of thetubular section is filled with rigid buoyant foam material 30. The wallthickness of the cylindrical tube is such that it offers no impedance tomicro-wave transmission.

A hollow tubular conduit 32 extends from the cap 26 through the disc 28and into the submerged section 14. A second hollow tubular conduit 34disposed interiorly of the wall 24 open at the wall 24 and at the disc28. A closure valve 36 is disposed within the conduit 34 at the openingthrough the visible section 12 defined by wall 24.

The light 18 is supported by a support 38 secured to the cap 26 as bysolvent welding. The support defines a lens receiving flange 40 whichsupports a lens 42 secured to the flange in water tight sealing relationby a clamp 44. A sealing gasket is disposed between flange 40 and thelens 42 to prevent ingress of moisture. Internally of the lens 42 thereis supported a bulb and socket 46 which provides the source ofillumination of the signal light 18. Conductors 48 and 49 connected tothe socket extend downwardly through the tubular conduit 32.

Additionally, a radar reflector, not shown, may be disposed internallyof the visible section 12. The reflector is protected from the elementsby the tubular wall 24 and is at the same time effective to produce asignal decernable by radar.

The submerged section 14 includes an outer wall 52 in the form of anelongated tubular member having an expanded end 54. The lowermost end ofthe visible section 14 is disposed in telescoping relation within theexpanded end 54 of the submerged section. The two sections are securedtogether as by solvent welding to provide a water tight seal 'betweenthe inner surface of the expanded end 54 and the outer surface of theend of the visible section A cap 56 is provided at the end of thesubmerged sec tion 14 opposite the expanded end 54. Intermediate theexpanded end 54 and the cap 56 there is provided a pair of spaced apartdiscs 58 and 60. A tubular member 62 is disposed in concentric spacedrelation to the tubular wall 52 and extends between the disc 60 and thecap S6 to define a battery receiving chamber open at the end of thesubmerged section 14. A threaded closure member 64 is secured to thetubular member to seal the open end of the battery chamber to prevententry of water.

The hollow tubular member 32 extending from the cap 26 of the submergedsection 12 extends through the discs 58 and 60 and opens into thebattery receiving chamber. A battery 66 is disposed within the chamberand provides the power source for the signal light 18. The conductors 48and 49 extend from the bulb and socket 46 through the hollow tubularconduit 32 and into the battery chamber where they are connected to thebattery 66.

The space between the outer tubular wall 52 and the tubular member 62and the space between the discs 58 and 60 are filled with ballastmaterial such as ferro-concrete. The concrete and the battery arelocated at the lowermost end of the buoy and therefore provide maximumresistance to displacement of the buoy from its Vertical positionillustrated in FIG. 1.

The mooring chain 20 is connected to the signal buoy by a pair of spacedapart eye bolts 72 extending through the tubular walls of the visiblesection 12 and the submergible section 14. The lowermost bolt isdisposed just above the disc 58 of the weighted end 0f the submergiblesection. The mooring chain is slack and the anchoring connection may bemade by a ring slidable along the chain. This reduces the tendency ofthe buoy to pivot from the vertical in rapidly moving water.

In accordance with the present invention the outer tubular wall 52, disc28 of the visible section 12 and disc 58 of the submergible section 14define a ballast chamber 68. The ballast chamber 68 includes a pair ofwater entry apertures 70 disposed adjacent the disc 58. The hollowtubular conduit 34 opens through the disc 28 and communicates with theballast chamber 68 adjacent its uppermost end.

The buoy 10 is illustrated in its normal operative signalling positionin FIG. 1. In ithis position the ballast chamber 68 is filled with waterand has essentially no influence on buoyancy. The buoyant nature of thebuoy 10 is provided by the sealed visible section 12 filled with thebuoyant rigid foam material.

To increase buoyancy air is introduced into the ballast chamber 68through the valve 36 and hollow tubular conduit 34. The air displaceswater through the water apertures 70. Closure of the valve 36 traps apocket of air within the ballast chamber below the disc 28 and above theapertures 70. In effect the water displaced by the buoy is a lesserpercentage of its weight and the buoyancy is increased. The buoytherefore raises up out of the water moving the center of gravity of thebuoy closer to the surface, The weight of the upper visible section 12of the buoy 10 overcomes the restoring force of the weighted submergedsection 14 and the buoy assumes an oblique angle with respect to thewater surface as illustrated in FIG. 2. In this position the buoy may bereadily towed by a vessel from one location to another. The angularattitude of the buoy minimizes drag and provides good trackingproperties.

A specific example of a buoy embodying the principles of the presentinvention has been constructed using ABS,

4 Cycolac (registered trademark), plastic. The buoy 10 is 24 feet inlength. The visible section 12 and the submerged section 14 are formedof tubular material 12 inches in diameter, except for the expanded end54 of the submerged section. The visible section 12 is filled with rigidbuoyant foam having a density of about 2 lb./ft.3.

The tubular member 62 defining the battery chamber is 32 inches inlength and approximately 9 inches in diameter. The discs 58 and 60 aredisposed approximately 4 inches apart and the longitudinal length of theballast chamber is approximately 48 inches. All separate elements of thebuoy are fastened together by solvent welding where possible. A battery66 is disposed in the battery chamber which provides approximatelypounds of 'ballast and ferro-concrete weighing approximately 200 poundsis disposed between the wall 52, tubular member 62 and discs 58 and 60.

With the ballast chamber filled with water the buoy assumes a verticalposition as illustrated in FIG. 1. Approximately 10.5 feet of thevisible section 12 are exposed above the surface of the water.

When air is introduced into the ballast chamber 68 the buoyancy isincreased to the extent that the weight of the visible section 12overcomes the restoring force of the weighted submerged section 14 andthe buoy assumes an oblique attitude for transport to another location.

What is claimed is:

1. A tioatable signal buoy including an elongated body having a visiblesection defining a signal portion, a submergible section dening aweighted end portion providing a restoring force to normally maintainsaid buoy in an essentially vertical operating position, said bodydefining a oodable ballast chamber in said submergible section, meansfor introducing air into said chamber to increase the buoyancy of saidbuoy and to raise its center of gravity sufiiciently to overcome saidrestoring force and to permit said buoy to assume an oblique towingangle in the water, a mooring and towing chain, and means for fixingsaid chain at one end to the visible section and at the other end to thesubmergible section, said chain being of greater length than thedistance between said means for fixing the chain ends to the buoy toprovide sufiicient slack for mooring the buoy in a substantiallyvertical attitude and for towing the buoy at an oblique angle.

2. A floatable buoy as claimed in claim 1 wherein said ballast chamberincludes a top and a bottom wall, said means for introducing air intosaid chamber communicates therewith at said top wall, and said chamberis in communication with the ambient sea adjacent said bottom wall.

3, A lioatable signal buoy as claimed in claim 2. wherein said visiblesection includes an elongated tubular outer wall sealed at opposite endsto define a buoyant chamber, said submergible section including anelongated tubular wall secured to one sealed end of said visible sectionin liquid tight relation.

4. A fioatable signal buoy as claimed in claim 3 wherein saidsubmergible section includes an expanded end secured to said visiblemember in telescoping relation, said sealed end of said visible memberdefining said top wall of said ballast chamber.

5. A lioatable signal buoy as claimed in claim 4 wherein said means forintroducing air into said ballast chamber includes a hollow tubularconduit within said visible section, open at one end to said ballastchamber at said top wall, and open at the other end at said tubular wallof said visible section, said conduct including a closure valve at theend adjacent said tubular wall.

6. A iioatable signal buoy as claimed in claim 1 wherein said visiblesection includes a signal light, and said submergible section weightedend portion includes a power source therefor, and conductor means extendbetween said light and said power source through said visible andsubmergible sections.

7 A oatable signal buoy as claimed in claim 3 wherein said tubular outerwalls of said visible and submergible sections are made of ABS plastic.

8. A oatable signal buoy comprising an elongated body having a visiblesection defining a signal portion, said visible section including anelongated tubular outer wall sealed at opposite ends to dene a buoyantchamber, a submergible section defining a weighted end portion providinga restoring force to normally maintain said buoy in any essentiallyvertical operating position, said submergible section including anelongated tubular outer wall secured to one sealed end of said visiblesection in liquid Vtight relation, said body defining a floodableballast chamber in said submergible section, means for introducing airinto said ballast chamber to increase the buoyancy of said buoysufficiently to overcome said restoring force and to permit said buoy toassume an oblique towing angle, said ballast chamber including a top anda bottom wall and being in communication with the ambient sea adjacentsaid bottom Wall, said means for introducing air into said ballastchamber including a hollow tubular conduit within said visible section,open to said ballast chamber at said top wall, and open at said tubularwall of said visible section, said conduit including a closure valveadjacent the end open at said tubular wall, a mooring and towing chain,and means for fixing said chain at one end 6 to the visible section andat the other end of the submergible section, said chain being of greaterlength than the distance between said means for fixing the chain ends tothe buoy to provide suiicient slack for mooring the buoy in asubstantially vertical attitude and for towing the buoy at an obliqueangle.

9. A iloatable signal buoy as claimed in claim 8 wherein said visiblesection includes a signal light and said submergible section weightedend portion includes a power source therefor, a tubular conduit memberextends through said ballast chamber top and bottom walls in sealedrelationship therewith, and electric conductor means extend between saidlight and said power source through said visible section, said tubularconduit member and said submergible weighted end section.

References Cited UNITED STATES PATENTS 2,355,013 8/ 1944 Rochestie.3,084,354 4/ 1963 Lunenschloss 9 8 3,273,526 9/1966 Glosten 114.5

MILTON BUCHLER, Primary Examiner GREGORY W. OCONNER, Assistant Examiner

